Fire drill/smoke bombs

[sam.henderson]

My City Council has a "likeskills centre" for primary school/early secondary school kids in which they used to do something very similar - albeit in far smaller groups, they fill a room full of smoke, chuck a few s/fx of burning wood, and set a fire alarm off...always seemed a little harsh to me, because it's set up by the children walking with the fire officer to this room, who tells them all they're going to see the caretaker's cat and kittens, and then he encourages the kids to wander into the fire to save the cats (at which point he informs those kids unwise enough to follow that they all just died). 

 

Perhaps understandably, it freaked a lot of children out, and so they stopped that particular part of the course... :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that the one in Bristol?? We have one here and it is very similar! Burning house etc. etc. they also deal with; gas leaks, drug abuse, crossing the road safely etc. I thinks thats all quite useful for young primary school children.

 

Sam

[chris999998]

Perhaps understandably, it freaked a lot of children out, and so they stopped that particular part of the course... :D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's ridiculus, the whole point is to freak out the children. Fear is a tool, especially when trying to educate about this kind of thing. A kid who is told

Don't run into a burning building, even to rescue small, cute animals

is hardly likely to remember, a child who is duped into running into a "burning building" to save said small, cute animals is much more likely to remember when they get told

You just burned to death

It won't sink in otherwise. I did a similar course when I was 11 and the only part I really remember is when we ere duped into going to "build rafts" with a "stranger". I'm appalled.

 

[/Rant]

 

Sorry, for being a bit OT.

 

I agree that this type of thing could be a good way to reinforce a point.

[bruce]

My kids went on a similar thing, organised by the local police and fire brigade. They had the "finding your way through a dark smoky building" thing, along with crime prevention, don't talk to strangers etc etc. It was held in a local country park.

 

As they came out of the course, heading for the buses, the groups were approached by a kindly old gentleman, who said that his little puppy had run off into the bushes, and would the children come into the bushes with him to help look for it?

 

Sadly, despite just coming out of a "don't talk to strangers" course, about half of the kids followed him.....

 

Bruce.

 

Edit: Just remembered - one started screaming "GO AWAY PERVERT", kicked him and ran back to the police.....

[david.elsbury]

As they came out of the course, heading for the buses, the groups were approached by a kindly old gentleman, who said that his little puppy had run off into the bushes, and would the children come into the bushes with him to help look for it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I take it he was to do with the course? Or was he a random. If a random, thats pretty scary...

[bruce]

I take it he was to do with the course? Or was he a random. If a random, thats pretty scary...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes - he was a policeman - he took them through the bushes to where a whole group of cops were waiting to ask the kiddies what they'd done wrong, and what they'd learned....

[chris999998]

Yes - he was a policeman - he took them through the bushes to where a whole group of cops were waiting to ask the kiddies what they'd done wrong, and what they'd learned....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And I bet that reinforced the point...

 

Oh Well,

 

Chris

[P. Funk]

My City Council has a "likeskills centre" for primary school/early secondary school kids in which they used to do something very similar - albeit in far smaller groups, they fill a room full of smoke, chuck a few s/fx of burning wood, and set a fire alarm off...always seemed a little harsh to me, because it's set up by the children walking with the fire officer to this room, who tells them all they're going to see the caretaker's cat and kittens, and then he encourages the kids to wander into the fire to save the cats (at which point he informs those kids unwise enough to follow that they all just died).

 

Perhaps understandably, it freaked a lot of children out, and so they stopped that particular part of the course... :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

hmm.. I remember going to something like that in Milton Keynes about 8 years ago. Didn't work because one kid opened up the door the smoke was coming from to see what was making it!

[slimey]

We had a discussion about this at work (an office + datacentre) after the last fire drill, and we thought it was a bit silly having everyone just walk out through the front door every time.

 

The best we could come up with was to stand someone on the front staircase holding the word "FIRE" and not letting people past, and seeing how many people could work out an alternate exit.

 

Simon

[danburns]

For one of our fire drills during a dress rehearsal I liaised with the FoH Manager, whereby we both decided that the fire would be outside our side fire sxit in thepassage (Thus blocking the stage door as well) So we policed the doors - me SL and the biggest meanest looking crew member SR. After a couple of seconds, the penny dropped and they realised they had to leave through the front door.

 

Then I realised I forgot the stopwatch and ran back to get it...not the best idea in a fire drill!

 

Dan